Notes / Commercial Description:
Blonde Ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with brett, lacto, and pedio (base beer is Temptation). This sour barrel-aged blonde ale has 31 pounds per barrel of fresh raspberries to make a beautiful reddish/pink beer! Nicely balanced with sweet raspberry and tartness. This beer is made only once a year in conjunction with our month-long fundraiser for the Sutter Breast Care Services of Santa Rosa during Breast Cancer Awareness Month! 100% of the proceeds of this beer will be used to help men and women in our community in their fight against breast cancer!

User Reviews

So I tasted batch 1,2,3, in a spur of the moment, screw it let's pop em taster. The 2010 batch 1 unfortunately was the least best. It seemed to have lost all of its color and was now a pale blonde color. Yeast floaties were everywhere. The aroma was there but mild. Flavor was actually delicious but not nearly as strong as the 2011.
The 2011 was quite a bit better. Still a bit pale in color but the aroma and flavor were quite prominent. A+ on this one. The 2012 was bright pink very aeromatic, flavorful and delicious. The 2013 was tasted on the release and was delicious from what I remember. Very pink

I know this ain't the most detailed review but I enjoyed the 11, 12,13 better than the 10 for what it's worth. I hung onto the 10 since the release and really wanted a 5 year tasting but popped it early. Glad I did. Seems it's prime was a while ago

A nice light frothy pink on the surface. Smells of raspberries, lemon, lactic, grass and some more raspberries and their pithy, vegetal character. This beer is very, very razzy. Plenty of raspberry notes, some dry tartness, lacto tartness, some gain and peppery sharp notes. It’s tart, but has a hollow middle for me. Medium on thin bodied with moderate on hi carb and a semi dry finish. This one is good, clean and approachable.

A: Pours light pinkish, but looks pale/golden in the glass, with two and a half fingers of pillowy foam which deflates at a glacial pace. Crystal clarity, excellent retention, and nice streaks of lacing.

S: Barnyard funk, earth, and minerals are the dominate notes, along with a little light raspberry.

T: Clean tasting, with light raspberry, then mouthwatering light/moderate tartness, moving to a little more raspberry on a lightly sour finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation, slight creaminess to the texture.

O: Easy drinking, tasty, refreshing, and a good level of sourness. A solid effort overall, though nothing out of this world, and not substantively better than their (excellent) shelf sours.

been wanting to try this one for as long as i can remember (which, as i have admitted before, may not be all that long honestly), but thanks to drlovemd87 as always, for breaking out the whales. pale pink in color like raspberry ginger ale, and possessing the same sort of bright carbonation and lightness of body as my favorite soda. white head is wispy but quick to go, and the nose is a wonderful sensation of fresh and freeze dried raspberries, wild yeast tartness, lacto, and lemon. there is an herbal softness to kick this off before the berries come in, and when they do, they are subtle, mellow, and not sweet in the slightest. i also get some moderate oak, more woodsy than vanilla, i suspect a real light char if any. beautiful fruit complexion as it finishes, unfolding like a blossoming flower, and has that same delicacy. i love the mouthfeel too, soft as can be, carbonated like a soda pop, and drinking like anything but beer, just light and effervescent and uplifting in every way. not as raspberry forward as i sometimes like these to be, but this is a creation unique to itself, unlike the others, and so i don't wish it to be any different. another beautiful russian river brew worthy of the highest trade value. just sensational.

T - Taste is super tart. Lots of oak, some nice wine notes as well. The raspberry is much more restrained here, which is too bad. There is raspberry tartness sure, and a bit of a fleeting flavour towards the back. Not nearly as powerful as the aroma, this is quite wine/oak forward and almost generic tartness. The berry is nice when it's there. The finish is much more raspberry smarties candy than fresh berries.

M - Mouthfeel is dry, tart, and brightly carbonated.

O - Overall, I enjoyed this beer. The taste though was a big time drop of the nose. If this was aged/old, I could understand and justify it...but for a fresh wild the raspberry should be much more powerful. Would definitely have it again though.

The beer pours a dull blood orange/pink with a thin, foamy white head and touch of sediment. The nose is subtle tart raspberry with deep funk and touch of alcohol. The taste is definitely tart raspberries in the forefront with an acidic funkiness that really ramps up the fruit's juiciness. The mouthfeel is light bodied (but not watery), effervescent, tart/acidic, and definitely drinkable. This is a lighter bodied, subtle raspberry framb with a big funk presence and balanced acidity...just wish it wasn't so hard to get!

Pours a hazy light red with a foamy reddish-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt, raspberry, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with slightly sour and tart raspberry flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but has a slightly better sour raspberry quality in the aroma.

Enjoyed at Russian River on tap on 2 October 2013 and again on 5 October 2013. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a hazy, pink ruby with a golden glow with 1/2 finger of bubbly pink-tinged head. Sticky lacing is left down the side of the glass.

S: Sweet and tart, this smells of fresh raspberries.

T/M: A biting tart up front leads into an earthy, sweet raspberry character. The finish maintains strong raspberry presence with sweetness as well as a puckering tartness. Mouthfeel is crisp, low-to-medium thickness, with a slight oily feel. Finish is very drying. Carbonation is moderate and perfectly done.

O: This is a delicious beer. I know I've never had a framboise I enjoyed more, and am fairly certain I've never had a sour I enjoyed more. If this beer were easier to get and more consistently available, I'd consume it regularly and be thrilled about it. As it is, it's just a great treat.

I was lucky enough to be in the area during their October release of this beer and I'm so glad I was. I love all of Russian river's sour ales but this one was unique. Not quite as sour as some of their others but it made it so drinkable that it was addictive. Definitely a strong dose of raspberries. They put 100 pounds of raspberries in per barrel. It had a sweet aroma with a touch of bread. The mouthfeel was incredible. I could've chugged beer after beer if I wanted to. Moderate sour and sweet crisp finish. I wasn't able to get any bottles but I definitely drank my fill on draft. Excellent beer highly recommend of you're in the area during the month long release

375ml bottle poured into a Russian River stemmed snifter today, 9/15/2013 on my one ear anniversary. Thanks to Doug for generously sharing this one bottle. Review #209.

Okay, so I can't get over how bright and pink this beer looks. We just drank a Cantillon Blabaer which we thought was outlandishly pink-orange looking, but this one is just so bright pink looking, like ruby red grapefruit juice. And so well carbonated too. It coats the glass in so much bubbles, even more so than any of the Russian River sours. It's really a beautiful looking beer.

Smell on this is a straight up raspberry sweetness, which makes sense since this is a framboise. I'm sure that this beer is meant to be a true framboise, because this reminds me a lot of Rosé de Gambrinus, but better. Honestly, this is a nice blend of lactic acidity and straight up raspberries. This beer, in my opinion is what I wish New Glarus Raspberry Tart smells like.

Again, same as the smell. So much lactic acidity that it was a nice change up from the vinegary acidity of Cantillon Blabaer.. combined with that awesome raspberry base. It's a great beer, better than Rosé de Gambrinus for sure.. its just too different than the Lou Pepe Framboise though that I can't make a fair comparison from here. But its definitely a great American Wild in that regard.

Mouthfeel is typical Russian River. Medium bodied, very well carbonated with a great, significant dryness. It's easy to drink, and very refreshing.. but nowhere near as funky as Cantillons or even Drie Fonteinen beers are.

I'm glad to have tried this. If the opportunity to get this again comes up, it's just as high priority as Beat is. It's just a nice, well-balanced and sweet American sour that hits the spot that some of the Belgians don't (read: less funky, more sweet). It's a great beer for sure.

Addendum: 2014 drank just as well as 2013 did, but just opened a bottle of 2015 fresh, and it just doesn't have that same raspberry punch to it. A little bit of astringent oak. Plenty of acidity, good mouthfeel and carbonation, but overall it just didn't live up to the last 2 vintages.

A: The beer is clear dark rosé in color in color and has a very slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high white head that died down a bit, leaving lots of lacing on the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of sour raspberries are present in the nose - these get stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of raspberries along with slight notes of oak and sourness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very well blended and provides interesting complexities from the sourness and raspberries. It's not too sour and the fruity flavors seem very natural.

A: Pours a clear dark rose in color with some light amounts of gentle visible carbonation and some pink + ruby red highlights. The beer has a quarter finger tall fizzy pink head that reduces to a medium large patch of thin film and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of raspberries with heavy amounts of tartness and just a hint of funky sourness. Very light notes of sour cherries.

T: Upfront there is a touch of natural raspberry sweetness over a subtle pale malt which is quickly followed by moderate to strong amounts of tartness. Slight hints of sour cherries and just a touch of funkiness. Light hints of oak.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with heavy amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of acidic prickliness and just a touch of dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink and really well balanced between the upfront sweetness and tartness/sourness. Very enjoyable and probably one of my favorite framboise beers - no hints of anything artificial (very much the natural flavors of the fruits).

A- Pours a translucent cherry red with a thin white head that has an off pink color and recedes to a thin layer leaving thin layered lacing that clings to the glass. About average carbonation with very nice consistency.

T- Tart raspberries with a nice balance between a subtle malt presence, raspberries add a nice sweetness that seems slightly syrupy. Finishes with tart raspberries and a hint of a cherry, both of which linger nicely as a sweet lightly tart aftertaste. Overall not overly tart with a nice balanced sweetness.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation that adds a subtle tingly sensation that fits nicely with the tartness, very easy to drink.

O- This was a great framboise and probably my second favorite I've had next to Cantillon's Lou Pepe Framboise which add a little bit more funkiness that only Cantillon can achieve. It was very drinkable with a nice sweet fruit presence balanced with a nice tartness. If you like the style of framboise I definitely recommend trying this out.

Huge thanks to yeahnatenelson for this one. As a raspberry whore, it's been on my wants list for a while. This is the 2012 batch, which also uses Temptation as the base. It pours the color of a ruby-red grapefruit with a gradient of deep ruby in the center and borderline pink at the edges. The soapy foam cap is a mix of lavender and pink and it gone within a minute or two, leaving behind only a little ring around the edge.

Raspberries lead the aroma profile, but Framboise for a Cure is far from one dimensional. I'm also picking up a noticeable amount of apples and grapes and cherries, all providing a jolt of sweetness and tartness. Plenty of funk roaming around; the critters are running wild in this one, no doubt. The more and more I smell this one, the more seemingly tart it gets. Plenty of overtly sour notes that pinch the saliva glands and start making my mouth water.

Once again, there'll be no surprise when I say that the flavor profile opens up with a large mound of raspberries. Other "berry" flavors seem relevant, too, along with lighter bouts of grapes and cherries. Very juicy, gushing with fruity flavors all around. Plenty of mildly vinous notes, including a nice amount of oak and tannin. Certainly tart and puckering from the middle to the end. It has a very crisp mouth feel from heavy carbonation and feels so light and effervescent. The funk is a bit more subdued on the palate, but still includes lots of cork, must, and cellar-like funk. Mouth watering and delicious.

Framboise for a Cure is damn good. As I stated earlier, I'm a huge fan of raspberries and I tend to be somewhat biased towards beers with well-integrated raspberries - exactly what this beer is. That being said, and somewhat shockingly so, I think I prefer the regular Temptation to this batch of Framboise for a Cure (which is essentially Temptation with raspberries). Nevertheless, still a fine brew and sure to make any raspberry and/or sour lover go nuts. Get some!

Appearance: Amazing fluffy pink head. Settles to a nice finger worth of froth. Nice lacing, lots of bubbles streaming up the middle of the glass, and an awesome red raspberry colored body to boot. Give a swirl and a fingers worth of head will re-appear.

Smell: Big dose of tart and sweet raspberries. Fresh berry fruit aromas. As if a mix of raspberry, strawberry, and tart sour cherries were picked at the same time. A light touch of funk...not overly musty or barnyard-y. Much like a Cantillon 100% Kriek but with Raspberry and not Cherry. Reminds me much of SHBRL, but a touch less complex.

Taste/Feel: Raspberry through and through. Lots of fresh tasting berries with a berry seed flavor...like biting into some fresh raspberries. Sweet raspberry/strawberry candy but not cloying in anyway. Much like those fruit candies you get that have a picture of a berry printed on the label. The beer dries out right before the finish and you're left with a light funky berry coated mouthfeel. The flavor and feel never gets to funky or sour...it's simply a nice mild drinking and tart raspberry wild ale that dries out nicely in the overall feel.

The beer borders on a fruit beer, but has enough tartness/funk to separate it from that and keep it from being too sweet. I was very much reminded of a Cantillon 100% Kriek or SHBRL in a few different aspects of this beer...even if this is only a wild ale and the others are lambics...it's def between a fruit and a sour beer and in a good way. Guess the perfect description is wild ale, because you don't really know what you're getting. Not that the beer is all over the place. It is simply a great balance of both tart and fruit. The raspberry aspect of the beer is mastered in this one...but it's a bit one note without the yeast adding a lot to the overall beer. I could easily drink a bunch of these over the summer months. But that's not feasible with this being so limited. Glad I got to try this and would easily drink it all the time were it a regular offering.

This poured out as a beautiful red color with a light pink head on top. The retention is pretty good here, not much lacing. The smell of the beer is slightly floral and fruity with a tart aroma on it. The taste is tart with a nice raspberry sweetness. The mouthfeel of the beer is light bodied with a good carbonation. Sweet and dry plenty of sour tart fruity notes. Overall this is a really good brew. Glad I got to have it!

Reviewing the Framboise For A Cure from Russian River Brewing Company out of Santa Rosa, California. Batch 3 of this brew is the same as Batch 2; it uses Temptation as a base and is 6.5% ABV. Russian River describes this beer as a "sour barrel aged beer with raspberries." 100% of the profits from this beer's bottle sales are donated directly to the Sutter Breast Care Center of Santa Rosa. You can make a direct donation to the cause of curing breast cancer through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by clicking here.

Score: 98

2012 vintage bottle (batch 3) served in a Bourbon County Brand Stout snifter and enjoyed on 02/11/13.

Appearance: Pours a gorgeous, slightly dark rose color with a finger-plus of frothy pink head that settles to a thick (half finger?) layer atop the glass. The beer is on the opaque side of translucent and "clean" in appearance. No noticeable army of floaties or any haze. Average, soapy lacing with awesome cling. Truly a gorgeous-looking sour. 5/5

Smell: The minute the cork popped of the top of the bottle, a "wild raspberry" aroma became immediately apparent to my nose, which was perched a couple of feet away from the bottle. Smelling from the glass, I get sweet and tart raspberry, strawberry ice cream, cranberry and a little bit of "all berry jam" akin to what they serve/sell at the Egg Harbor in Lincolnshire. There's a faint amount of that straw-like sour funk (my friend humorously calls this "Cantillon Dust") that you get in beers Cantillon Classic Gueuze present as well. Absolutely delicious! 5/5

Taste: Tastes just like it smells, but a little less bold. Tart raspberry, creamy strawberry and a little bit of that "Cantillon Dust" funk in the finish that faintly lingers with a hint of raspberry. Truly delicious, simply magnificent! Not very complex, but boy is this beer tasty! Although not very tart at cellar temp, this one grows in tartness as it warms up. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Has a juicy juice-like mouthfeel that moistens the palate while also slightly drying out and inflaming the gums after the swallow -- which makes for a really interesting mouthfeel. Nice blend of sweet and tart here. 5/5

Overall: One of my favorite sours consumed to date. This one can roll with the big boys (Fou Foune, Beatification, Tornado 25th Anniversary Ale, etc.). Give the average price one must pay for a quality sour, I would absolutely recommend this brew at the price point (even though it breaks the $1/oz retail threshold).